Gumption sponsors promising young luger Mees van Buren

Mees van Buren (16) is the only luger in the Netherlands. He would love to go to the Winter Youth Olympic Games in South Korea in 2024. With financial support, Gumption is helping this young talent realise his dream.

Mees 1 4 3

Mees van Buren is the son of Marcel, managing partner at Gumption. We grabbed Mees for an interview in between training sessions.

Mees 2

‘Luging isn’t the same as bobsledding,’ the secondary school student from Everdingen in the Netherlands opens. ‘As a luger, you slide down the ice at breakneck speed on a small sled, feetfirst. On your own, and so not in a capsule. In luge, you start at a greater height. It’s blisteringly fast, with speeds up to 135km per hour.’

Luge is not an obvious sport for a Dutchman. How did you end up doing it?

I’m from a sporty family and do quite a few sports myself. I’ve played football since I was four and also do strength sports. The last few summers, I kitesurfed and in the past, I have played tennis, windsurfed and took circus skills classes for four years. My dad let me take part in a luge taster session which was held in the Netherlands. I loved it. I seemed to have a knack for it.

Mees 2

‘Luging isn’t the same as bobsledding,’ the secondary school student from Everdingen in the Netherlands opens. ‘As a luger, you slide down the ice at breakneck speed on a small sled, feetfirst. On your own, and so not in a capsule. In luge, you start at a greater height. It’s blisteringly fast, with speeds up to 135km per hour.’

Luge is not an obvious sport for a Dutchman. How did you end up doing it?

I’m from a sporty family and do quite a few sports myself. I’ve played football since I was four and also do strength sports. The last few summers, I kitesurfed and in the past, I have played tennis, windsurfed and took circus skills classes for four years. My dad let me take part in a luge taster session which was held in the Netherlands. I loved it. I seemed to have a knack for it.

It’s not a sport for scaredy-cats?

At first, it was quite scary, but now it’s mostly fun and exhilarating. It gives you a huge adrenaline kick when you fly round the corners and feel the G-force. There’s nothing like it. We reach speeds at which cars get flashed, wearing just a helmet, lying on a sled. You do have to be a bit of a daredevil!

Smrozovka
You are the only luger in the Netherlands?

Yes! I train with lugers from other small countries: Ireland, Puerto Rico, Georgia, Romania and Bulgaria. It’s a great international bunch. Thanks to my sport, I get to meet people from different backgrounds. That’s amazing. Boys and girls train together, but the competitions are not mixed.

Smrozovka
You are the only luger in the Netherlands?

Yes! I train with lugers from other small countries: Ireland, Puerto Rico, Georgia, Romania and Bulgaria. It’s a great international bunch. Thanks to my sport, I get to meet people from different backgrounds. That’s amazing. Boys and girls train together, but the competitions are not mixed.

What makes a good luger?

For starters, you have to be very physically fit and do lots of runs. To win, you need great technique more so than pure physical strength. Lots of training, in other words. A training session takes maximum one and a half to two hours because it’s so physically and mentally demanding. It’s best not to do more than four runs.

Mees 3
How does this work in practice? There can’t be many luge tracks in the Netherlands?

No, the closest track is in Winterberg, in Germany. Training isn’t always that easy because of the great distance involved. I was recently in Latvia and soon, I’m off to Korea where the Games will be held, to get some training in locally.

Mees 3
How does this work in practice? There can’t be many luge tracks in the Netherlands?

No, the closest track is in Winterberg, in Germany. Training isn’t always that easy because of the great distance involved. I was recently in Latvia and soon, I’m off to Korea where the Games will be held, to get some training in locally.

How do you combine your sport with school?

Our school has a talent programme. I’m allowed to train abroad as long as I maintain my grades. It did take some adjustment for the school. Football or hockey players miss a couple of hours a week. Sometimes, I’m gone for weeks on end, that takes a different kind of organisation. I get a lot of support from school, which I’m really happy about. Even the best lugers have ordinary jobs outside their sport. You can’t make a living of it, so school is very important to me.

IMG 5583
Your goal is to take part in the Youth Olympic Games?

Yes, that’s what I’m training for right now. In 2024, the Youth Olympic Games will be held in Gangwon-do in South Korea. I would love to be there. My parents support me with the practical side of things and with international contracts. Gumption’s sponsorship helps me travel to my training sessions and buy specialist equipment. Thermal wear, in particular, is important: we sometimes train in temperatures of minus 12 degrees. Thanks to Gumption, I can train more. That’s huge for me.

Best of luck, Mees!

IMG 5583
Your goal is to take part in the Youth Olympic Games?

Yes, that’s what I’m training for right now. In 2024, the Youth Olympic Games will be held in Gangwon-do in South Korea. I would love to be there. My parents support me with the practical side of things and with international contracts. Gumption’s sponsorship helps me travel to my training sessions and buy specialist equipment. Thermal wear, in particular, is important: we sometimes train in temperatures of minus 12 degrees. Thanks to Gumption, I can train more. That’s huge for me.

Best of luck, Mees!

Menu

ENNL